New Guinea Impatiens Plant Named ‘Tamar White’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘Tamar White’, characterized by its large white-colored flowers; freely flowering habit with flowers positioned above or beyond the foliage; upright, somewhat outwardly spreading, rounded, uniform and compact plant habit; freely branching growth habit; and glossy dark green leaves.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of NewGuinea Impatiens plant, botanically known as Impatiens hawkeri, andhereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Tamar White.

The new Impatiens is a product of a planned breeding program Inventor inMaasland, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is todevelop new Impatiens cultivars with uniform plant habit and attractiveflower and foliage colors.

The new Impatiens originated from a cross made by the Inventor in 1998of two Inventor's proprietary Impatiens hawkeri selections, notpatented. The cultivar Tamar White was discovered and selected by theInventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross ina controlled environment in Maasland, The Netherlands in 1998.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken atMaasland, The Netherlands, has shown that the unique features of thisnew Impatiens are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Tamar White’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Tamar White’ as a new and distinct Impatienscultivar:

1. Large white-colored flowers.

2. Freely flowering habit with flowers positioned above or beyond thefoliage.

3. Upright, somewhat outwardly spreading, rounded, uniform and compactplant habit.

4. Freely branching growth habit.

5. Glossy dark green leaves.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Maasland, TheNetherlands, plants of the new Impatiens differ from plants of thecultivar Moorea, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,147, in thefollowing characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Impatiens have darker green leaves than plants ofthe cultivar Moorea.

2. Plants of the new Impatiens flower earlier than plants of thecultivar Moorea.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the actualcolors of the new Impatiens. The photograph comprises a top perspectiveview of a typical flowering plant of ‘Tamar White’ grown in a 12.5-cmcontainer.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The cultivar Tamar White has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somwehat withvariations in environment such as temperature, light intensity, waterstatus and fertility level, without, however, any variance in genotype.The following observations and measurements describe plants grown inMaasland, The Netherlands, during the early autumn, under commercialpractice in a glass-covered greenhouse. Plants used in the followingdescription were about 10 to 12 weeks old from planting rooted cuttingsand grown in 12.5-cm containers with one plant per container.

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Tamar White.

Commercial classification: New Guinea Impatiens cultivar Tamar White.

Parentage:

Male parent.—Inventor's proprietary Impatiens hawkeri selection, notpatented.

Female parent.—Inventor's proprietary Impatiens hawkeri selection, notpatented.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 5 to 7 days at 19 to 20° C.Winter: About 6 to 8 days at 19 to 20° C.

Time to produce a rooted cutting or liner.—Summer: About 14 to 19 daysat 19 to 20° C. Winter: About 14 to 21 days at 19 to 20° C.

Root description.—Numerous, fibrous, and freely branching.

Plant description:

General appearance.—Upright, somewhat outwardly spreading, rounded,uniform and compact plant habit. Appropriate for 10 to 25-cm containers;multiple plants are typically planted in larger containers.

Growth and branching habit.—Freely branching with about 8 lateralbranches at the base. Pinching, that is, removal of the terminal apices,is typically not required. Moderately vigorous.

Crop time.—From a rooted cutting, about 10 to 12 weeks are required toproduce finished flowering plants in 12-5-cm containers.

Plant height.—About 15.1 cm.

Plant diameter.—About 35.7 cm.

Lateral branches.—Length: About 12.5 cm. Diameter: About 1 cm. Internodelength (lower internodes): About 4.2 cm. Color: 144A to 144B.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite or whorled. Length: About 9.4cm. Width: About 4.2 cm. Shape: Broadly elliptic. Apex: Acute toacuminate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Serrulate with ciliation. Texture:Leatherly; glabrous. Aspect: Horizontal to somewhat arching. Color:Young and fully expanded foliage, upper surface: Close to 147A; glossy.Young and fully expanded foliage, lower surface: Close to 147B. Midvein,upper and lower surfaces: 147C. Petiole: Length: About 2.8 cm. Diameter:About 3 mm. Color: Close to 147C.

Flower description:

Flower type and flowering habit.—Single white-colored flowers. Freelyflowering, usually about 8 flowers and flower buds per lateral branch.Flowers positioned above and beyond the foliage and typically faceupward or outward. Flowers cupped when opening then mostly flat whenopened. Flowers star-shaped. Flowers last about 7 to 14 days on theplant depending on temperature and weather conditions. Petalsself-cleaning; gynoecium persistent. Flowers not fragrant.

Flowering season.—Year-round under greenhouse conditions. In the garden,flowering from spring until fall.

Flower length.—About 5.7 cm.

Flower width.—About 5.5 cm.

Flower depth.—About 9 mm.

Flower buds (just before opening).—Rate of opening: From showing colorto fully open flower, typically about 2 to 3 days depending ontemperature. Length: About 1.6 cm. Diameter: About 1.2 cm. Shape: Ovoid.Color: 155l D.

Petals.—Quantity: Single, five per flower. Length: Banner petal: About2.5 cm. Lateral petals: About 3.2 cm. Base petals: About 3.6 cm. Width:Banner petal: About 2.8 cm. Lateral petals: About 2.2 cm. Base petals:About 2.9 cm. Shape: Cordate. Apex: Emarginate. Base: Attenuate. Margin:Entire. Texture: Smooth; velvety. Color: When opening and fully opened,upper surface: 155D. When opening and fully opened, lower surface: 155D.

Spur.—Length: About 5.3 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm at flower; apex, about1 mm. Color: Proximally, 144C; distally, 144B.

Peduncles.—Length: About 4.7 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Strength: Strong,flexible. Aspect: Mostly upright. Color: 144B to 144C.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen number: Five fused at anthers,filaments free. Anther shape: Obovate. Anther size: About 4.75 mm by 2mm. Anther color: Apex, 11C; base, 155D. Amount of pollen: Moderate.Pollen color: 11D. Gynoecium: Pistil length: About 3.5 mm. Stigma color:11D. Style color: 144C. Ovary color: 144C.

Seed development.—Seed development has not been observed.

Disease resistance: Plants of the new Impatiens have not been observedto be resistant to pathogens common to Impatiens.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiensplant named ‘Tamar White’, as illustrated and described.